This is what happens when you make kids go look at art. They destroy it! This 12-year-old Taiwanese child was visiting the exhibition “Faces of Leonardo: Images of Genius” in Taipei when he accidentally tripped — drink in hand — and punched a hole into a $1.5 million dollar Italian still-life painting. The painting, Flowers, by Paolo Porpora, was painted in about 1660 and is apparently the only one the artist actually signed. Fortunately, the exhibition curator said that the painting was insured and the child won’t be expected to pay for restoration costs, but that he’s definitely grounded for at least the rest of the summer.
Here’s the damage:
Here’s the painting, pre-hole:
